Remembering Phyllis Walker
by Merrymary05
Summary: Darien was adopted by his foster mother Phyllis Walker after his parents died, but what happens when he receives news about her that changes his life? What does Serena have to do with it? Read to find out...
1. Prologue

**Remembering Phyllis Walker**

**Author's notes: This story is inspired by my second pair of parents Mama and Papa Meincke, the sweetest couple in the world. Plus I'm working on a research paper about foster care so it fits. I'm finished with everything but the epilogue, but I'm still nitpicking so keep a look out for more updates. Let me know how I'm doing.**

_Prologue_

_"Come on in, baby," the woman said to a 5 year old boy as she opened the door to the house. Her name was Phyllis Walker and she was his new foster mother. It didn't seem like a likely match since she was a black woman and he was white, but she was sweet enough and was more than willing to take him in when she heard his story. They entered the house and the first thing the boy noticed was the noise of many children laughing and talking. "We're going in the den to meet everybody. They're all in here." _

_The two of them walked into the next room where the talking and laughter got louder. The boy scanned the room and noticed that there were about 7 kids of all colors and ages playing some type of game. In the midst of all the children was a tall black man he assumed was the father who was laughing along with them. The woman cleared her throat and the noise ceased as all eyes were focused on her. "Boys and girls, we have a new member of the family. This is Darien Shields and I expect ya'll to make him feel right at home."_

_All the children murmured hellos and smiled at him, but Darien didn't pay attention. The man approached him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Darien," he said holding out his hand to him. "My name's Darryl, but you can call me Papa."_

_"You're not my dad," Darien muttered._

_"Excuse me?" Darryl asked. "I couldn't hear you, son."_

_"I'm not your son!" Darien yelled. "And none of you are my family so leave me alone!" He ran up the stairs as everyone stared after him in shock. Darien made it upstairs and ran into the nearest bedroom. He slammed the door shut and fell onto the bed crying. After a few minutes, he heard the door open and footsteps coming towards him._

_"I don't allow closed doors in my house," he heard Phyllis say as she sat on the end of the bed. "Why'd you run away like that? There's a whole bunch of people downstairs waiting to meet and love on you."_

_"I don't wanna meet them," Darien mumbled in the pillow. _

_"Come here, honey," Phyllis said pulling him up into a hug as he continued crying. "I know you miss your parents, but you can't keep other people out of your life."_

_"But I don't wanna forget them," Darien sniffled._

_"They'll always be in your heart," she said ruffling his hair. "Papa and I don't wanna replace your parents, but we just wanna give you the love they wanted to give you plus extra." Darien rested in Phyllis' embrace quietly. "And don't you dare think for a moment your life isn't worth anything. God don't make junk and He has a purpose for your life."_

_"Ok Mrs. Walker," Darien said softly. "I guess I'll say hi to everybody."_

_Phyllis smiled at him. "That's the spirit," she said wiping his tears away. "I just know they'll love you. And please don't call me Mrs. Walker. Call me anything but Mrs. Walker." They stood up together and headed downstairs where a buzzing noise sounded._


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

Darien woke up to the sound of his alarm going off loudly. He smacked the off button and rubbed his eyes sleepily. He got out of bed a few minutes later and got ready for a full day. _Mama Walker,_ he thought as he showered. _I wonder how she's doing._ He turned off the shower and got dressed thinking of different memories with Mama Walker. Darien smiled remembering that she was the only one he opened up to since his parents died. He got along with the other children and Papa Walker, but he reserved his deepest feelings and conversations for Mama. She and Papa Walker most definitely changed his life for the better and it was hard to leave. After moving out a few years ago he promised to visit at least once a month and called every few weeks, but as time went on visits got fewer because he realized that she was still busy raising more foster children. Now it had been a few months since he visited her for Easter and he considered making a surprise visit one day soon.

He tied his running shoes and then went out for his morning jog hoping to run into a certain blonde on the way. Darien smiled as he ran and thought about his Meatball-headed beauty. It seemed as though he was thinking about her a lot lately and he knew exactly why. Even though she would pick fights at him daily, he loved the attention he got from her and purposefully went out of his way to provoke her. Darien turned a corner and smiled when he saw the familiar blonde running down the sidewalk towards him. He moved into her path and prepared for a collision that came a few moments later. "Oof!" They both stumbled backwards and almost lost their balance.

The girl dropped her book bag and quickly picked it up. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she kept repeating as she stood back up. "I'm late for school and I wasn't watching where I was going and…"

"Maybe you should wake up earlier, Meatball Head." Darien said as he started jogging around her in circles. "Then you wouldn't collide into people all the time."

The girl rolled her eyes and Darien just smirked as he continued running around her. "Why must you always call me that stupid nickname?" she asked angrily. "My name is Serena. S-E-R-E-N-A!"

"I know, _Meatball Head_," he said emphasizing the name. "It fits that hairstyle of yours."

Serena groaned loudly then started following him with her eyes as he continued running around her. "Why are you running around me?"

"Bumping into you put me behind my jogging schedule so I'm catching up by running around you." He stopped running around her and started jogging in place in front of her.

"You are _SO_ annoying. Get out of my way," she said shoving past him. "I'm gonna be late." She ran away as fast as she could.

"You can still make it," Darien yelled after her. Serena turned around and stuck her tongue out at him before running towards the school. Darien smiled and continued his jog back towards his apartment. _It's gonna be a great day_ he thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

After classes were over, Darien found himself at the arcade drinking his usual cup of coffee. "Do you need a refill, Darien?" Andrew the arcade manager asked. He was Darien's best friend since high school and always gave Darien a free cup of coffee.

"Thanks Andrew," Darien said holding his empty cup up. Andrew poured more coffee into his cup. "Did she come in yet?"

"Who?" Andrew asked dumbly.

"You know who," Darien said folding his arms.

"Oh, Serena," Andrew said with a grin. "Your secret lover," he said in a sing song voice. He proceeded to make kissing sounds.

"Stop it, Drew. Someone might hear you."

"So what? You're head over heels in love with the girl so why not make it known. If you don't, then I will."

"Then you will no longer be my friend. I'll do it someday." The door bells jingled followed by a familiar sound of girls' chattering and laughter. Darien just stayed where he was while he overheard the conversation they were having.

"Where was Lita today?" Amy asked.

"She wasn't in class with me and she didn't call," Mina said.

"Do you think she's sick or something?" Serena asked with concern. "Maybe we should go visit her to make sure."

"I'm sure she's fine, Meatball Head," Rae said. Darien frowned. He hated that Rae was using his nickname for her and made a mental note to call her out on it. "It's not like she died or anything." The girls continued chattering and Darien took it as his cue to leave.

"I've gotta go, Andrew," Darien said getting up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Don't forget to speak to your woman," Andrew said cheekily.

Darien glared at him before passing the girls' table. "See you later, Meatball Head," he said directly to Serena before heading towards the door.

Serena fumed. "It's Serena, Jerk Face!" she yelled after him. "That guy is _so_ annoying. Why does he insist on making my life miserable…?"

Darien smiled as he walked out the door listening to Serena rant about him. _Definitely a great day._

*******

Darien walked into his apartment with a bag full of groceries and caught sight of a light blinking on his phone. He set the bags down on the kitchen table and pushed the play button on his answering machine. What he heard disturbed him.

"Darien," a man's voice said brokenly. It was obvious he was crying. "It's Eddie. Call me as soon as you get the chance."

Darien frowned as he deleted the message. Eddie was Phyllis and Darryl Walker's natural son who was about 15 years older than himself. He didn't see much of him growing up, but whenever he came to visit it was like having a cool older brother and Darien became attached to him. They kept in touch off and on, but this sounded urgent. _I wonder what's wrong. _Darien looked on his caller ID for Eddie's number and immediately called him.

After a couple of rings a woman answered the phone. "Hello?" she sniffled.

Darien recognized the woman as Eddie's wife, Cheryl. "Hello Cheryl. It's Darien. How have you been lately?"

"I've been better. How about you?"

"I'm fine. Is Eddie there? He called me earlier and told me to call back as soon as I could."

"Yeah he's right here. Wait just a second."

A few minutes passed until someone finally answered the phone. "Hello?" a man's voice finally said sadly.

"Eddie, it's Darien," he said calmly. "What's the matter? You sounded awful on the answering machine." Crying was heard on the phone and Darien got nervous about what he needed to talk about. Darien racked his mind through possibilities and held his breath waiting for the answer.

"Mama's gone," Eddie finally said when he calmed down.

It took a moment for Darien to process what Eddie just said. "W-what?" he asked in disbelief.

"Mama passed away in her sleep on Monday. I just thought all her kids ought to know. I'm sorry."

Darien was having difficulty trying to wrap his mind around the news he just received and found it hard to breathe all of a sudden. "W-when's the funeral?" he choked out.

"Tomorrow at 11am at the church we all went to all the time."

"T-thank you, Eddie," Darien said before hanging up the phone. He sat down staring blankly at the wall. _I can't believe she's gone _he kept thinking to himself. _She still has kids to take care of. It can't be true._ Darien suddenly got up and left his apartment to clear his head.


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Serena went to Lita's house after visiting with her friends at the arcade just to make sure she was all right. She just couldn't stand not knowing why her friend missed school and didn't tell anyone. She rang the doorbell and waited patiently for an answer. A woman with red hair opened the door and smiled at Serena. "Hi Mrs. Collins," Serena said cheerfully. "Lita missed school and I was wondering if it was ok to see her."

"Hello Serena," Mrs. Collins said sweetly. "I'd let you in, but Lita specifically said she doesn't want to see anyone today. She'll be back at school on Monday."

Serena frowned. "Is she sick? Is she hurt? Did something happen to her? She usually calls when something happens."

Mrs. Collins sighed. "She's as healthy as can be, but she's not in a good place emotionally. I'll let her tell you when she's ready."

"Ok. Can you at least tell her I stopped to check on her?"

"Of course I will, Serena. Have a great day."

The door closed and Serena looked confused as she walked home. _That was weird. Why wouldn't Lita tell us what's bothering her? I hope she'll be ok._ Serena looked at the time and smiled before heading to the park. It was almost time for the sun to set and she liked to watch from her favorite spot in front of the lake from time to time. She came to her secret place but stopped short when she saw someone sitting on her bench. _That's lame. He's just gonna have to move._ Serena started sneaking up behind the man, but stopped when she recognized the ugly green jacket he was wearing. _Darien's in my seat._ She smiled evilly. _I'll show him._ She continued sneaking up behind him and prepared a plan to yell obnoxiously in his ear. She was less than a foot away ready to put her plan into action, but she stopped when he suddenly bent down to put his head in his hands. Suddenly she heard him start to cry and before long he was sobbing uncontrollably.

Serena's heart immediately broke for him with every cry so she decided to do something to make him feel better. She sat beside him and started rubbing his back gently. Darien jumped and backed away from her touch before looking up to see who it was. "Leave me alone, Meatball Head," he said angrily trying unsuccessfully to wipe his tears away.

Serena was startled by the tone of his voice, but she wasn't about to give up that easily. "No Darien," she said firmly as she scooted closer to him. "I can't just walk away when you're obviously hurting so badly. And it doesn't help one bit to try and hide it." She started rubbing his back again. "What's wrong?"

Darien was taken aback by the compassion Serena was showing him. She was the last person he expected to comfort him, but he appreciated her presence at that moment. More tears filled his eyes and he covered his face as he started to cry again. Serena hugged him around his waist and continued her rubbing motions on his back. Darien instinctively hugged her as he continued to cry on her shoulder. "She's gone, Serena," he said sadly after a while. "She's gone." Darien could no longer form words and just continued to cry.

"Shh," Serena said gently as she continued rubbing his back. She started combing her fingers through the hair near the back of his neck. "Everything's gonna be all right." He held her tighter and tighter as his crying got louder, but she didn't complain about it. It seemed as though he were afraid to let her go. Serena always saw Darien as a strong person, but she never believed that she'd ever see him as vulnerable as he was now. Whatever was making Darien so upset must have been really horrible and she tried to think of what it could be. _Who's gone? Did a friend move away? Did he break up with a girlfriend?_ That thought didn't sit right with her and she felt a tad jealous.

After a while Darien sat up, but he didn't let her go. He started rubbing her back and playing with her hair. "Thanks for staying, Serena," he finally said hoarsely.

Serena looked up at him and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "You're welcome."

"My mama died," Darien suddenly said brokenly. "Her son called and told me a few hours ago." Serena felt his body start to shake. "I didn't get to say goodbye."

Serena was shocked to silence and hugged him tighter. "Oh Darien, I'm so sorry," she said after a while.

"The funeral is tomorrow, but I just don't know if I can go. It'll be too hard."

Serena looked up at him intently. "You have to go. That's your own mother's funeral."

"No, my parents died when I was 5," he explained blankly. "Mama Walker was my foster mother and eventually adopted me. She was the best friend I ever had. She had at least 20 foster children come and go while I was there, but she always made time for me. I talked to her about everything."

"Wow," Serena said in awe. "If she was that special to you, then you have to go to the funeral. If you don't go, you'll miss your chance to say goodbye." She hesitated for a moment. "I'll go with you if you want."

Darien looked down at her. "You don't have to do that."

"I know I don't, but I want to. I wanna do whatever I can to help you."

Darien sighed. _Does this girl's kindness ever end?_ "I appreciate that," he said squeezing her in a hug. "I'll pick you up around 10:15am."

"Sounds like a plan." Serena looked towards the lake and saw the moon starting to rise. "I need to get home. My family will worry."

"Can I walk you home?" Darien asked. Serena nodded and they both stood up to leave.

They walked along the sidewalk towards Serena's house in silence, but she didn't fail to notice that he was holding her hand. _He's just doing that for comfort_. Serena tried to reason to herself. _He needs a friend more than anything._ Soon they arrived in front of her house and stopped. "Are you gonna be all right by yourself?" Serena asked with concern.

Darien gave her a small smile in the moonlight. "I think so. Thanks for being there for me."

Serena smiled back. "Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow at 10:15."

"Don't be late, Meatball Head."

If it were under any other circumstances, Serena would have yelled at him. But she simply smiled and nudged him in the shoulder. "I won't, Jerk Face." She squeezed his hand and walked towards her house hoping Darien would really be ok.

Darien watched after her until she went inside. He walked towards his apartment with his head hung low. Though he was still sad, having Serena there to comfort him made things a lot better. _I guess it turned out to be a good day after all._

**Author's Notes: That's all for now. Just to let you know you are halfway through the story. Like I said before I'm still nitpicking other chapters and hopefully I'll be finished soon. For now please let me know what you think so far.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's notes: Thanks for the reviews so far. I'm glad you like it. Here are 2 more chapters to hold you over. I'm in college and it's crunch time as finals are coming in the next 3 weeks so it may be a bit before I finish, but I promise more is coming.**

_**Chapter 4**_

_Twelve year old Darien knocked on the master bedroom door and waited for permission to enter. He knew he probably shouldn't interrupt Mama after coming home from the funeral, but he wanted to at least tell her good night. He frowned when he saw Mama Walker crying into her pillow, but she looked up at him and smiled. "Come on in, sugar," she said sniffling._

_Darien walked inside slowly and sat beside her on the bed. "Mama, are you gonna be all right?" he asked with concern._

_"I will be, honey. Papa Walker was my best friend and I'm gonna miss him. But I know he's in heaven watching over us."_

_"You still have me," Darien said hugging her._

_Mama kissed him on top of his head. "I know I do. And I have all your brothers and sisters too. Papa Walker was my first love you know."_

_Darien pulled away from her and scrunched his face up. "Eww," he drew out. "Is that why you kissed him all the time?"_

_"And more than that," Mama said with a smile. Darien shuddered. "That didn't stop him from being my best friend. I grew up with Papa and the more we talked, the more I wanted to spend time with him. When we were both 18, he took me out to dinner, to a show, and then asked me to marry him under the moonlight on the beach. I said yes and I never regretted it. Papa took good care of me over the years. I know he loved me very much and I loved him."_

_Darien smiled and thought for a moment. "Do you think I'll find someone who will love me that much?"_

_Mama smiled and combed her fingers through his hair. "I know you will, sugar. You might not recognize it right away, but she's out there waiting for you."_

_*******_

Darien woke up breathing heavily as sweat covered his entire body. He went to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. He got himself a glass of water and sat on the couch in his den to calm himself down. He wasn't sleeping well that night because of the dreams he had of Mama Walker reflecting various memories of his childhood. He still felt guilty about not visiting her enough and hoped that going to the funeral would bring some closure. Darien looked at the clock and read 5:45am. _I may as well get started early._ He got up and went to get a shower so he could prepare for his morning jog.

*******

Darien arrived at Serena's house right on time and rang the doorbell. He hoped that her father wouldn't be the one answering the door because he was not in the mood to explain why he was going alone somewhere with his daughter. He sighed in relief when Serena answered the door and looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing black like a normal person would, but instead she had chosen to wear a simple dark purple dress that reached her knees and matching flats. "I'm sorry, Darien," Serena said interrupting his thoughts. "I know you're supposed to wear black to a funeral, but I don't own anything black because it's such an ugly color and my mom's dresses are way too big and…"

Darien smiled at her as she continued on. Honestly he was glad that she wasn't wearing black. Wearing black would have clashed terribly with her warm, bubbly personality. "There's no need to apologize," he finally interrupted. "You look nice."

Serena smiled. "Thank you." She closed the door behind her and walked with him to his car. He opened the door for her and proceeded to get in on the driver's side before driving away quietly. They rode in silence for a while, but soon Darien reached for Serena's hand and squeezed it. Serena proceeded to caress his hand to offer comfort. "Are you ok?" she asked.

Darien nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks for coming today, Serena. I don't know if I could have done it without you."

"I'm glad to be here." Not another word passed between them as they continued on their way to the church, but neither of them let go of each other's hand. Serena looked out the window and noticed that they were arriving in an unfamiliar part of town. Before she knew it, they were stopped in the parking lot of a large church. She waited for Darien to make a move to get out the car, but he looked frozen in place. "We have to go in sometime," she said gently.

"I can't," Darien said as tears gathered in his eyes. "It hurts too much."

"You'll miss your chance to say goodbye," Serena said rubbing his arm. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"

Darien sighed. "No I don't."

She gave his shoulder a little squeeze. "I'll be right beside you the whole time. If you need a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on or whatever, I'm here for you."

"Ok," Darien said quietly. He unbuckled his seatbelt and Serena did the same. They got out the car and walked hand in hand towards the church. When they entered the sanctuary, almost all of the pews were full. They found a seat near the front with enough space for the two of them and proceeded to sit down. As soon as they were seated, Darien wrapped his arm around Serena and didn't let go of her hand. He noticed her tense up a bit. "I'm sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, it just surprised me," Serena said honestly. "You can keep your arm there if you want to."

"Serena?" a girl asked behind them. Serena turned around and came face to face with a tear faced Lita. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here for moral support for Darien. I kinda ran into him yesterday and he told me what happened." Serena gasped as she remembered that Lita was adopted. "Was she your foster mother too, Lita?"

Lita nodded. "Only for about a year until the Collins' adopted me, but Mama Walker changed my life."

"I remember now," Darien said as realization struck him. "You were in the house with us for a few months when you were 4 or 5. That was about a year or so after I got there."

"Small world I guess," Lita said with a shrug. "Did you ever get adopted?"

"Mama adopted me 3 years after I first got there. I guess no one else wanted me," Darien said sadly.

"But Mama did," Lita said. "And I'll bet she and Papa were the best parents ever."

"I just can't believe she's gone," Darien said blankly.

An organ started playing "Amazing Grace" and everyone stopped talking to pay attention to what was going on up front. While the pall bearers, the pastor, and other people Serena didn't recognize were coming in, she looked around and noticed that the sanctuary was almost overflowing with people. _She must have made an impact on lots of people's lives. _

The pastor began with an opening prayer before another man came to the pulpit to speak. Serena assumed that he was going to give the eulogy. He took a moment to gather himself and his thoughts. "My name is Eddie Walker and I'm proud to call Phyllis Walker my mother…" Serena listened intently as Eddie delivered the eulogy and was amazed by the life that this woman led. She heard many people crying louder as she heard him mention her service as a foster mother to over 50 children for 20+ years. She felt Darien hold her closer to him as he shed his own tears as though he were afraid to let her go. "…Mama Walker would not want us all walking around so sad and you know it," Eddie continued. That statement filled the sanctuary with soft laughter. "She'd want us walk proudly with our heads high and remember her in our hearts as we continue to live life day by day. Her love has touched many lives and she would want us to spread that love to whoever we come in contact with."

Hymns were sung, a message was preached, and a closing prayer was prayed before everyone was welcomed to pay their respects to Mama Walker in her casket. Everyone stood up and waited in line for their turn, but Serena and Darien remained seated. "We can just wait for everyone else," Darien said hoarsely as he rubbed Serena's shoulders.

"Whatever you want, Darien," she replied resting in his embrace. Lita was about to pass them and Serena grabbed her hand. "Do you want me to come with you?" she asked seriously. Lita shook her head no. "Let me know if there's anything at all I can do for you."

"I will," Lita sniffled. "Please don't tell the others. I'm not ready yet."

Serena squeezed her hand in confirmation before letting it go. The line was finally getting shorter and soon enough Serena and Darien were the last people in the sanctuary. She looked at him expectantly. "Are you ready?" she asked gently.

"Not really," Darien said standing up. "But I have to get this done."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Darien shook his head no. "I have to do this by myself."

Serena caressed his knuckles. "Ok. I'll be right here if you need me."

Darien nodded and slowly made his way towards the open casket. He stepped up onto the platform and stopped abruptly when he finally saw Mama's face. Her hair had turned gray and was pulled back neatly. Her dark skin was paled with death and had wrinkles on it that Darien couldn't remember being there before. He smiled despite himself as he noticed the wrinkles around her eyes; she had called them laughing wrinkles since she loved to laugh at life. He didn't fail to notice that she was wearing her favorite Sunday dress with the purple lilies patterned on it. _Purple was her favorite color._

Darien looked down and let more tears fall down his face as he prepared to say goodbye. "I'm sorry, Mama," he finally choked out. "I'm so sorry. I should have visited you more often. You were one of my best friends and I didn't even get to say goodbye." He paused for a moment to wipe his tears away, but shortly after more replaced them. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you. There's so much I had to tell you. I found the woman of my dreams. Her name is Serena and I know you would approve. I love her, but she doesn't know it yet. I only realized it a few months ago. I only wish that you could have met her. You would have loved her." He paused again. "Thank you for all you did for me. I'll miss you so much, but I promise to never forget you. Goodbye, Mama."

_*******_

Serena watched intently as Darien said his goodbyes and tried in vain not to break down crying, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to be strong for him, but the combination of hearing all the wonderful things about Mama Walker and watching Darien at his most vulnerable moment emitted sadness from her even though she didn't know the woman. She held her head in her hands as she sat in the pew waiting and cried softly. She was startled when she felt someone wrap their arms around her. Serena looked up and realized that Darien was holding her. She hugged him and cried into his chest as he held her and rubbed her back soothingly like she had done for him so many times. When she calmed down, she looked at him and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said wiping the last of her tears away. "I should be the one comforting you."

"Don't worry about it, Meatball Head," Darien said affectionately. "Are you ready to go?" Serena nodded. They stood up together and waked out of the sanctuary.

"Darien," a man said to him in the lobby. Darien looked up while still holding Serena and came face to face with Eddie Walker. "I'm glad you made it," he said giving Darien a big hug. "How are you holding up?"

Darien smiled at him. "I'll be all right."

Eddie noticed Serena standing next to Darien for the first time and smiled "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend."

Serena looked up at him shyly as Darien held her in his embrace again. "Oh no," Darien said. "Serena is just a very good friend of mine. Serena, this is Mama's son, Eddie."

Serena smiled shyly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Did Mama have any kids under her care before she died?" Darien asked curiously while rubbing Serena's shoulders.

"There were only 3 since she couldn't take care of as many as she got older," Eddie explained. "Cheryl and I have agreed to be their foster family."

"That's wonderful," Darien said. "We've gotta get going."

"It was good to see you. I'll give you a call and we can catch up."

"That sounds good," Darien said. "Take care of yourself." Eddie waved as he and Serena headed out of the sanctuary into the parking lot. Darien opened the car door for Serena and proceeded to get in on the driver's side before driving off.

The car ride was silent again. They continued riding in silence until they were back in familiar territory. "Am I taking you home or what?" Darien finally asked.

Serena looked at him. "I can't go home yet. It just doesn't feel right leaving you alone right now. Are you gonna be all right in your apartment by yourself after a funeral like that?"

"I appreciate your concern, Meatball Head, but I'll be fine. You've done so much for me today and I couldn't possibly ask you to come home with me..."

"Do you want me to come over?" Serena interrupted.

Darien sighed. "Would you?" he said shyly. "Even if it's just for a little while?"

Serena smiled and grabbed his free hand. "You know I will." Darien squeezed her hand and continued driving towards his apartment complex.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Darien sighed. "Tell me again why we made cookies?" he asked exasperatedly as they watched the chocolate chip cookies bake in the oven.

"Because eating them will make you feel better," Serena said simply. "At least they make me feel better when I'm sad."

"But they're so fattening," Darien complained.

Serena looked up at him with a hand on her hip. "Well if you didn't want to make cookies, you should have said so before we got started. I was just trying to help."

Darien smiled at Serena's innocence. _She's so cute when she's mad._ It was true that he should have refused the cookies, but she was so excited about eating homemade cookies that he had to give in. Helping Serena make the cookies did help him feel a little better and he was curious about how they were going to turn out. "You have a point, Meatball Head," he finally said taking her hands into his. Then he got on his knees. "I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me?" he asked dramatically.

Serena laughed. "Of course I will. Just get off the floor and stop begging like an idiot." Darien complied and let her hands go reluctantly. The oven beeped signaling that the timer had run out. "Done!" Serena said excitedly as she put oven mitts on.

Darien opened the oven door for her before she got the pan of cookies out. "They smell delicious."

"And they're gonna taste delicious too," Serena said as she set the pan on top of the stove. She grabbed a spatula and started moving the cookies to a plate. "We have to eat these now. Cookies straight from the oven taste the best."

"Yes, Ma'am," Darien said sarcastically as he followed her into the den. They sat on the couch and started eating the cookies. "These are so good," he said with his mouth full.

"What happened to cookies being so fattening?" Serena asked as she took another cookie. "Do you have any milk?"

"Yeah, wait here," Darien said standing up. "And don't eat all those cookies without me." Serena stuck her tongue out at him as he disappeared into the kitchen. He came back a few minutes later with 2 full glasses of milk. After he handed her a glass, Serena took a cookie and dunked it in the milk before taking a big bite. "You know," Darien said suddenly. "That's how Mama liked to eat her cookies."

Serena quickly put her milk and cookie down. "I'm sorry, Darien."

"No don't apologize," Darien said quickly. "You just reminded me of one of Mama's favorite past times: eating milk and cookies during game nights. Every Friday or Saturday night all of us would play some type of board game while eating milk and cookies. It was a lot of fun."

"I bet," Serena said. "Did you like growing up with all the foster kids?"

"I did. There was never a dull moment. We'd have birthday parties for everyone at least twice a month that was an all out celebration. And we always made up new games to play together. Mama and Papa would always join us, but even though we had a lot of play time they also told us when it was time to be serious. Mama never let any of us miss a Sunday for church and if we made a sound while the pastor was talking we'd regret it later." Darien sighed. "I just can't believe she raised over 50 of us over the years. She treated us well and gave us the best life possible. And I know she's changed each child's life for the better with the same amount of love and affection she showed me."

"That's beautiful, Darien," Serena said sweetly with a sigh.

Darien knew that sigh sounded sad and noticed that her mood changed. "What's on your mind, Meatball Head?"

"Hearing all those great things about Mama Walker is so inspiring," she started. "It just makes me wonder if I'll ever be capable of doing anything great with my life." She laughed bitterly. "I'm almost failing my classes, I'm always late, I'm clumsy, I'm…"

"Amazing," Darien interrupted. Serena looked up at him curiously. "So you have some minor flaws. It doesn't stop you from making your life count. Mama always said 'God don't make junk. Everyone is a masterpiece made in His image and we all got a purpose.' That includes you." Serena smiled. "Just wait patiently for the years to go by and keep being yourself. I know you'll change many lives for the better." _You've already changed mine._

Serena impulsively hugged him. "Thank you, Darien. That's really sweet of you to say."

Darien returned the hug. "You're welcome."

Serena got Darien to talk about more happy memories with Mama Walker and it made her heart happy to see him smiling and laughing. A beeping noise was suddenly heard and Serena let go of Darien to get her phone out of her purse. "Text message," she muttered. She opened her phone and frowned after reading the message. "I have to go home," she said sadly.

"Let me drive you," Darien offered standing up.

"No, I don't wanna use up any more of your gas. I can walk from here."

"Then let me at least walk you home. I insist."

Serena sighed. "Ok." They left the apartment and started walking towards Serena's house. They walked in silence and Darien kept trying to steal glances at her. Serena noticed and looked up at him, but every time she did he would look away. _What is his problem?_ Serena wondered to herself. _He's probably still thinking about Mama. Maybe I remind him of her in some way._ They arrived in front of her house and stopped. "Thank you for walking me home," she said. She touched his arm gently. "Are you gonna be ok?"

Darien clasped her hand. "I'll be fine, Meatball Head. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me and for coming with me today. I owe you."

Serena smiled. "No you don't. Helping friends through tough times doesn't cost anything."

"Ok. Well, I'll see you around."

"Ok, Darien. Goodbye." Serena turned around and walked inside her house. She watched out the window as he made his way down the sidewalk towards his apartment. _It's official _she reasoned with herself. _I've fallen for the Jerk Face._

**Author's notes: review, question, comment, any feedback is good!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's notes: I have a small break before finals and found time to finish! I hope you enjoy the ending and it's not stupid. Let me know if there's any mistakes or how you like it. Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 6**_

_Darien was taking a break from studying and decided to go in the kitchen to make a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. After grilling his sandwich he set it on a plate and smiled as he put one of Serena's leftover cookies from earlier on his plate. After turning off the stove, he turned around and dropped the plate when he saw someone sitting at the table. "Hello, sugar," she said._

_"M-mama Walker?" Darien said in fear while trying to clean the mess. "H-how'd you get here?" He threw his trash away before joining her at the table._

_"It's a dream, silly," she said with a laugh. "I can go wherever I want." She started looking around. "You've got a nice place here, honey. It's a shame you live here by yourself. I wish I saw it sooner." Darien hung his head down in shame. "Don't be ashamed, baby. It was my fault for not making time to come visit you. I still had all those precious children to take care of."_

_"I still feel bad for not seeing you more often. I didn't even get to tell you goodbye."_

_"But you did at the funeral and I gladly appreciate it. Please stop beating yourself up about it, sugar." She suddenly smiled. "You had a lovely young lady there with you. Was she the one you were telling me about?"_

_Darien smiled as his eyes lit up. "Yes, Mama, that was Serena. She's lovely and wonderful and probably the sweetest, kindest, most wonderfully amazing person I've ever met. She's everything I could ever want in a woman." Darien smirked. "I always made fun of her or was just outright rude to her, but even through all that she grew on me. It's only been about a year since I realized that I like her, but I just realized that I love her. She just doesn't know it yet."_

_"Then what's stopping you from telling her?" Mama asked with a hand on her hip. "You're not gonna get anywhere by telling me all this."_

_Darien sighed. "I know, Mama, but I'm scared she won't feel the same way. She's still young and I'm not sure if she'll understand how deep my feelings for her are."_

_Mama smiled. "Well if she's as wonderful as you claim she is and you love her so much you should still tell her. True love is hard to come by these days. You don't wanna let it pass you by when it's right in front of you or else you'll live to regret it. Something tells me that she cares more about you than she lets on. Even if she doesn't feel the same way, I'm sure you'll be able to capture her heart when she sees the love you have for her in your eyes. You've always been a little heartthrob, honey."_

_Darien smiled as he stood up with Mama Walker. "I guess I can try." He hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mama… for everything," he said shakily as he began to cry. "I miss you so much."_

_Mama released him and wiped his tears away. "I miss you too honey, but I'll never leave you." She patted his chest. "I'll always be right there in your heart with your parents." She kissed his cheek tenderly. "I love you, sweet boy. Now go live your life and get the woman that you love."_

*******

Darien woke up on his biology book and quickly sat up at the kitchen table. He wiped the tears from his eyes and checked the time. _1104pm. Good, I have some time to get ready_ he thought to himself as he stood up. _Thank you Mama. I love you too._ He left the room and went upstairs to make a list of what he needed to win the heart of the woman he loved.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

On Sunday around lunch time, Serena was in the arcade laughing and having a wonderful time with her friends. She took a sip of her chocolate milkshake, but was caught off guard when a question was asked. "So Lita, why did you miss school on Friday?" Rae asked. Serena looked at Lita with concern as she looked down and played with her fingers.

"I got some news that affected my family," Lita said vaguely. "I decided to stay home and deal with it. I would have called you guys, but everything happened so suddenly."

"As long as you're all right," Amy said with relief. "I'm glad you weren't sick."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lita said with a smile purposely making eye contact with Serena. Serena smiled back catching the double meaning behind her words.

"So Serena," Mina said. "What was so important that you had to bail on us yesterday? Molly said she saw you walking home with a cute guy."

"What?" Rae exclaimed. "Who would want to walk Meatball Head home?"

"Well who was it, Serena?" Amy asked with growing curiosity. All the girls except Lita leaned forward in anticipation waiting for her answer.

"Please don't freak out," Serena pleaded. "But it was Darien."

"Why?" Rae asked.

"I thought you two hated each other," Mina added.

"Did you two finally call a truce?" Amy asked.

Amy, Mina, and Rae kept asking a million questions at once while Serena sighed and looked at Lita. "They freaked out," Serena said with a half smile.

"Just tell them the truth," Lita said with encouragement. "Besides, I'm kinda curious about what happened after you two left."

Serena smiled and waited for all of them to stop talking. After a while they stopped and waited for an explanation. "Well, on Friday I went to see Lita at her house because I was worried about her, but her mom wouldn't let me in so I went to the park to watch the sunset. It just so happened that Darien was there was in my seat, but he was really upset because someone close to him passed away. I volunteered to go to the funeral with him and we went together yesterday. After the funeral I decided to keep him company at his apartment because I didn't feel right about leaving him so soon. We ended up making cookies and I got him to talk about happy memories he had just to make him feel better. Then after my mom sent me a text message he walked me home." She shrugged. "That's all there was to it."

"Poor Darien," Amy said solemnly. "But it was a good thing someone like you was there to comfort him. Good for you."

"It sounds like a premature date to me," Mina said.

"It wasn't," Serena protested. "I was just there for moral support."

"That may be true, but I bet you had other motives too," Rae said.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"She means that you have a crush on Darien and this was your excuse to spend time with him," Lita said. Serena stared at her with her mouth wide open. "Don't give me that look. You know it's true."

"We've noticed the way you look at him," Amy said.

"And the way you always talk about him," Mina added.

"And the way you always pick a fight with him on purpose," Rae added in.

"Ok, ok, you've made your point," Serena said folding her arms. "So I like the guy. But there's no way in the world he feels the same way about me."

"I don't know," Lita said in a sing song voice. "He was in here earlier before you got here and was asking questions about you."

Serena scoffed. "Probably to get more ammo to tease me," she said folding her arms.

Andrew appeared in front of their table. "Hey girls. Is everything all right here?"

"Everything's wonderful, Andrew," Mina said trying to flirt with him.

He winked at her. "Serena, Darien told me to give this to you. I have no idea what it is, but he said you should read it right away." He handed her a small envelope and the girls smiled knowingly at her.

"Thank you, Andrew," Serena said opening the envelope. She smiled when she realized it was a thank you card with a bunny on the front holding balloons. She opened it and found a short note he had written for her.

_My Dear Sweet Serena,  
That line was probably very corny sounding, but I don't care. Thank you again for being there for me when I needed it most. I don't know what I would have done without you. And thank you for the cookies… I ate the rest of them already. :-) To show you my appreciation, I want to treat you to dinner. I've already cleared it with your parents. Dress to impress and I'll pick you up at 5pm.  
~Darien_

Serena looked up and found all of her friends and Andrew reading her card over her shoulder. The girls giggled and cooed and Andrew just smiled. _It's about time _he thought proudly to himself. "I know Darien doesn't go on dates very often, but it sounds to me like he just asked you out on one Serena." Serena rolled her eyes at him.

"That's what it sounds like to me too," Rae said.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Amy asked.

"It does, it does," Lita said knowingly.

"We have to go shopping!" Mina said excitedly. They all dragged Serena out of the arcade to get her ready for her get together with Darien while Andrew watched with amusement.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

The girls spent a total of three hours shopping dressing Serena to impress before leaving in enough time before Darien arrived to give them privacy. Serena admired herself in the mirror one more time. The girls bought her a green sundress with purple flowers printed on it and some white heels to match and added just enough makeup to her face to accentuate her natural beauty. They left her hair in her traditional style and placed a couple of flowers in her buns. The doorbell finally rang and Serena ran downstairs while her mother answered the door. "Hello, Darien," she heard her mother say. "Come on in."

"Thank you," Serena heard Darien say politely.

"Serena should be down here any minute."

Serena took that as her cue to enter the den. _Here it goes_ she thought as she walked into the den. When she saw Darien she smiled. He was dressed in a simple dress shirt with a dark green tie and black slacks. "Hi," she finally said softly.

Darien was smiling at her. "Hi Serena. Are you ready to go?"

Serena nodded and hugged her mother. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Princess," her mother said returning the hug. "Have fun."

Darien offered his arm to Serena and she looped hers through his before they made their way to his car. He opened the door for her and then proceeded to get in on the driver's side while she buckled in. Serena's mother waved as they drove off. "Where are we going tonight?" Serena asked.

"Didn't you read the card, Meatball Head?" he said cheekily. "I'm treating you to dinner."

Serena stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't call me Meatball Head. Why did we have to get so dressed up?"

"You'll see." They continued driving along and soon they arrived at an Italian restaurant. "I hope this is ok," Darien said helping her out the car.

Serena smiled as she looped her arm through his. "This is wonderful. You really didn't have to treat me to dinner, especially somewhere like this. You've already thanked me enough."

"I had to, Serena," he said as they walked inside.

"Hi, welcome to Antonio's," a brunette hostess said cheerfully looking Darien up and down. She smiled at him and was doing a bad job of flirting with him. "How many are in your party tonight?"

"Just two," Darien said visibly pulling Serena closer to him. Serena hid a blush.

The hostess rolled her eyes before looking over a list and then picking up two menus before walking in front of them. "This way," she said. They followed the hostess to the corner of the restaurant and were seated at a table for two across from each other. "A waiter will be with you in a moment."

"Thank you," Darien said as she walked away. "Order whatever you want, Serena. I'll cover it."

"Darien, are you sure?" Serena asked looking over the menu. "You know how much I eat. I don't deserve all this. Let me at least pay you back…"

"No more complaining," Darien interrupted. "Just enjoy your time here and stop worrying. There's still more to come."

Serena looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean there's more?"

"You'll see after we eat." Serena pouted and Darien laughed as the waiter came to take their orders.

*******

"Darien, where are we going?" Serena asked again. They just got out of Darien's car and he was guiding her along the way with his hands over her eyes.

"Just wait and see," Darien said with a smile as they arrived at the front doors. He turned her so she was facing the front where she could see the sign. "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready," Serena said impatiently. "Just take your hands off of my face already."

"Ok, but I don't want to hear any screaming." Darien took his hands from her eyes and waited patiently for her reaction.

Serena's eyes got big and her mouth dropped when she saw the marquee in front of the city's performing arts center. She was amazed to be standing at the front doors of the opening of her favorite Broadway show _Beauty and the Beast_. "Darien, I can't believe it. How did you know I wanted to see this?"

"I asked your friends," he said simply as he took her hand and walked with her to the line where people were waiting to enter. "I have a friend who works here so I was able to get me some last minute tickets." The line moved fast enough and soon they were being seated in the front row of the balcony.

"Darien, this is way too much appreciation for one person," Serena said as they sat down together. "You didn't have to go out of your way like this."

"I wanted to, Serena. I didn't know how else to show you just how much I truly appreciate you."

"Well thank you," Serena said shyly. She thought it was strange that Darien was being sweet and going out of his way for her, but she didn't say anything about it and enjoyed it while she could. _It'll all probably change by next week_ she thought sadly. The lights went out as the orchestra finished tuning and the show finally began as Serena watched with intensity.

Darien wasn't really watching the show as much as he was watching Serena. He smiled as her face lit up like a child as the show went on and was pleased that he had made her happy. Serena looked at him and smiled when she caught him looking at her and smiled at him before turning her attention back to the show. Darien stretched his arm around Serena's shoulders and began to watch the show before he missed the whole thing.

*******

"I didn't think I'd enjoy _Beauty and the Beast_ so much," Darien said as he and Serena walked together. It was still early in the night and neither of them was ready to end it so they decided to take a walk through the park.

"The show is amazing," Serena said. "It's won a lot of awards, but I just enjoy the story so much." They continued walking under the brightness of the moonlight until they reached the bench that sat in front of the lake where Serena found him a few days earlier. Serena was enjoying the scenery while Darien continued to stare at how beautiful she looked. Serena looked at him when he took both of her hands into his own. "Serena, I have a confession to make."

Serena frowned afraid of the news he was about to tell her. "Well what is it?" she asked softly.

"I lied to you. I had other motives for taking you out to dinner and a show though I really did want to show you my appreciation for all you did for me. The real reason I took you out is because I had to tell you how I feel about you. I know I haven't always shown it, but I really do care about you. I think I've known it ever since the day your test paper hit me in the face." Serena laughed and he smiled. "I just realized how much I like you only recently. I found myself running into you on purpose so I could hear your voice and just have your attention. But the more I saw you the more I found that I was falling for you, a young woman with the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful heart in the world. Having you with me during everything that happened with Mama Walker just confirmed my feelings and made them stronger." He sighed. "Maybe it's just too much to take in at once or maybe you don't even feel the same way, but I just wanted you to know what I feel in my heart."

Serena smiled. "I'm glad you told me because that means I have a confession to make too. I thought you were an annoying jerk at first, but you were a cute annoying jerk so I did what I could to get your attention." Darien smirked. "I'd fight with you, yell at you, throw things at you, and do whatever I could to get you to notice me because somewhere along the way I fell for you too. You're smart, handsome, strong, and so amazing. Going to the funeral with you solidified my feelings. It helped me to know that I needed you as much as you needed me. I feel comfortable and safe with you and I like you a lot. I think I've always cared for you, but I think yesterday I realized it goes a lot deeper than that."

Darien stood up and grabbed her by the waist before spinning her around while she laughed with glee. "I'm glad," he said pulling her closer to him. "There's only one thing that I need to know now."

"And what's that?" Serena said inching closer to his face.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Serena smiled and wrapped her arms around Darien's neck before closing the space in between them with a light kiss. Darien was taken by surprise at first, but caressed her face and deepened the kiss making it last a bit longer before they finally broke apart. They grinned at each other goofily staring into each other's eyes. "Is that a yes or a no?" Darien asked slyly.

Serena giggled and gave him another light kiss. "It's an undeniable yes."


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Phyllis Walker hurried and took a seat in the rocking chair next to her husband. She smiled as she admired all of the decorations and looked over all of the people waiting for the big event. "Isn't it beautiful, Darryl?" Phyllis said taking his hand into her own. She smiled knowingly when she spotted Darien standing in the front.

"It sure is," Darryl replied. "It's a perfect day for an outdoor wedding. Heaven's got the best view of the house." He smiled when he caught sight of Darien fidgeting nervously. "Darien really turned out to be a fine young man, didn't he?"

"I always knew he would," Phyllis said. "And I knew he would look absolutely dashing in a tuxedo." They suddenly heard an organ playing a new melody and smiled as the bridesmaids and groomsmen made their way down the aisle. Phyllis and Darryl smiled broadly as Serena appeared under the trellis with her father in a beautiful wedding dress and walked the aisle towards the altar where Darien was waiting expectantly for her.

"She's a real beauty," Darryl said in awe as Serena continued walking down the aisle. "I'm happy Darien found himself a woman sweet enough to open his heart. I just know she'll be good for him and they'll have a happy life together just like we did." He laughed.

"What's so funny, you?" Phyllis asked.

"I just think it's funny that it only took the boy 4 years to finally get the nerve to ask her to be his wife."

"So what? Didn't you tell me one time that it took you 3 years to finally propose to me?"

"I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

"Mmhmm," Phyllis muttered skeptically. "Stop talking! Here comes the best part."

"Dearly beloved," the pastor began. "We are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Darien Thomas Shields and Serena Olivia Tomlinson…"

Phyllis watched as Darien looked up in their direction for a moment and smiled proudly. She took the time to blow him a few kisses. "I love you, Darien."

*******

Darien was a nervous wreck as he waited at the altar for the ceremony to begin. It seemed to be taking forever for the wedding march to begin and he was getting more anxious by the minute. The organ finally played a new melody and all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen made their way down the aisle. Finally the wedding march began and everyone in the audience stood up as Serena appeared under the trellis with her father. Darien's nerves seemed to suddenly disappear as he kept his eyes focused on the love of his life as she came closer and closer to him. After Serena's father gave her away, Darien took both of Serena's hands into his and smiled at her widely.

"Dearly beloved," the pastor began. "We are gathered here today to witness the wedding of Darien Thomas Shields and Serena Olivia Tomlinson…"

Darien looked towards the sky for a moment while the pastor was saying opening remarks and caught sight of a cloud that looked remarkably like a couple sitting together holding hands. He suddenly felt a gentle wind hit him on the cheek and thought he heard someone whisper 'I love you' to him. Darien smiled to the sky and faced Serena again. _I love you too Mama Walker. I'll always remember you._

_**The End**_

**Author's notes: That's it. How did you like it/hate it? Please let me know. I'm already working on another story so watch out for that one in the next few weeks. Thanks for reading!**


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